The Denny and Candy Elwell Foundation

ANKENY, IA EIN: 42-1298057

The Denny and Candy Elwell Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1987 in Iowa and granted tax-exempt status in July 1988. Based in Ankeny, Iowa, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing grants to pre-selected organizations.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

Annual Giving

$292K

+63.9% YoY

Grant Count

+10.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$7K

+49.0% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary purpose is to provide grants to pre-selected organizations, with a particular emphasis on higher education. Key areas of interest include:

Education (32% of recent giving)
Social & Human Services (21% of recent giving)
Religion (11% of recent giving)
Christian agencies and churches
Community improvement

Grantmaking

Grant Range

s:** Typical awards range from $250 to $62,000, with a median grant amount of $2,500.

Review Cycle

How to Apply

** Applicants must contact the foundation directly for the application process. There are no stated deadlines.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's giving is concentrated primarily in Iowa, with approximately 72% of grants staying within the state. Additional significant funding reaches Illinois, North Carolina, Arizona, and Minnesota.

Grant Distribution by State

Iowa $501K (68%)

Illinois $60K (8%)

Minnesota $51K (7%)

North Carolina $40K (5%)

Arizona $24K (3%)

Florida $21K (3%)

New York $20K (3%)

District of Columbia $10K (1%)

+3 more states

States

Arizona California Colorado District of Columbia Florida Iowa Illinois Minnesota North Carolina New York Tennessee

Cities

ALLEMANANKENYBOONECHARLOTTECHICAGOCLIVEDES MOINESDUBUQUEFORT MYERSGILBERTGREENFIELDGRIMESHUXLEYJACKSONVILLEJEFFERSONJOHNSTONLITTLETONMEMPHISNEVADANEWTON

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent Data (2024):

Total Assets: $3,540,798
Total Revenue: $1,117,292
Total Giving: $291,700
Total Expenses: $338,250
Net Assets: $3,532,613

Previous Year Data (2023):

Total Assets: $2,761,756
Total Revenue: $986,037
Total Giving: $178,000
Total Expenses: $223,937

Revenue Sources (2024):

Contributions Received: $936,718
Investment income and dividends
Net rental income

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	—	—	—
Revenue	—	—	—
Expenses	—	—	—
Qualifying Distributions	—	—	—
Net Investment Income	—	—	—
Distributable Amount	—	—	—

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

139 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Prairie Ridge Church ($62,000), Alzheimers Assocation ($25,000), Mayo Clinic ($25,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ABUNDANT LIFE CHURCH DES MOINES, IA	GENERAL FUND	$500
ALZHEIMERS ASSOCATION CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL FUND	$25,000
ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE OF IOWA INC DES MOINES, IA	GENERAL FUND	$5,500
ANKENY AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANKENY, IA	GENERAL FUND	$10,500
ANKENY ART CENTER ANKENY, IA	GENERAL FUND	$2,500
ANKENY COMMUNITY CHORUS ANKENY, IA	GENERAL FUND	$2,500
ANKENY FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH ANKENY, IA	GENERAL FUND	$1,000
ANKENY SERVICE CENTER ANKENY, IA	GENERAL FUND	$10,000
BALLET THEATRE OF DES MOINES DES MOINES, IA	GENERAL FUND	$5,000
BLANK PARK ZOO FOUNDATION INC DES MOINES, IA	GENERAL FUND	$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Dennis L. Elwell – President & Director
Candy Elwell – Director

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
DENNIS L ELWELL	PRES, TREAS & DIRECTOR	0.25	—
CANDY ELWELL	VP, SEC & DIRECTOR	0.25	—
BRIANNA ELWELL KINSLEY	DIRECTOR	0.25	—
CHRISTIAN M MURRAY	DIRECTOR	0.25	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2021

In 2021, the Denny and Candy Elwell Foundation made a $2 million donation to the Iowa State Fair, resulting in the creation of the Elwell Family Park at the fairgrounds.

Iowa State Fair announces $2 million donation, Elwell Family Park

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Denny and Candy Elwell Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary purpose is to provide grants to pre-selected organizations, with a particular emphasis on higher education. Key areas of interest include: • Education (32% of recent giving) • Social & Human Services (21% of recent giving) • Religion (11% of recent giving) • Christian agencies and churches • Community improvement

How do I apply for a grant from The Denny and Candy Elwell Foundation?

**Grant Sizes:** Typical awards range from $250 to $62,000, with a median grant amount of $2,500. **Recent Grant Examples:** • Mayo Clinic: $26,000 (Alzheimer's Disease Research) • World Food Prize Foundation: $12,500 (General Fund) • Blank Park Zoo: $10,000 (General Fund) • Science Center for Iowa: $10,000 • Boys and Girls Clubs: $9,000 • Des Moines Performing Arts: $1,250 • Grand View University: $1,000 • Salem United Church of Christ: $1,000 **Application Process:** Applicants must contact t…

Where does The Denny and Candy Elwell Foundation make grants?

What size grants does The Denny and Candy Elwell Foundation award?

In 2024, The Denny and Candy Elwell Foundation awarded 44 grants totaling $292K — an average of about $7K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

What is The Denny and Candy Elwell Foundation's EIN?

The Denny and Candy Elwell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1298057. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.